By Patricia S. McCormick

3-5 Maybe. There's nothing scary or alarming in this film, but there may not be enough action to keep them interested.

6-8 In a pinch. They will find the story a little slow and the low-tech production values distracting. Be prepared to answer questions about what happens to those pet alligators when their owners tire of them.

9-12 No way. They're too old for this.

he rats of Manhattan are threatened with extinction by Lou Dollart, a greedy developer who's flushing them out of the wharves where he hopes to build his next big project. But two plucky young rodents -- Isabella, a royal rat, and Monty, a rat ''from the wrong side of the drain'' -- team up to thwart his plans. Riding the city's sewers on one of its mythical alligators, they end up in a magical underground city where they discover an antidote for Dollart's poison. The film, which features live actors and marionettes, is based on the book by Tor Seidler.